Electro-thermal odor-releasing inks and methods for releasing odors from the same

Abstract

The present invention is drawn to odor-releasing ink-jet inks and methods for releasing odors from printed images. The ink-jet ink comprises an ink vehicle; an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon substantial activation of the electro-thermal material.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material.  
     
     
       2. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the odor-releasing additive is a microparticle containing the odorant. 
     
     
       3. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 2  wherein the microparticle is a pigment solid. 
     
     
       4. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 2  wherein the microparticle is selected from the group consisting of cationic resins, anionic resins, and nonionic resins. 
     
     
       5. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the odor-releasing additive is an electrochemical hydrogel containing the odorant, said odorant being releasable from the hydrogel upon substantial activation of the electro-thermal material. 
     
     
       6. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 5  wherein the hydrogel is formed by a polymeric member selected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide-methacrylate polymers, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene triblock polymers, ionic polymer-metal composites, poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(acrylic acid) polymers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 5  wherein the odorant is contained within a solution, and is released as the hydrogel deswells due to electrical or thermal activation of the electro-thermal material. 
     
     
       8. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 5  wherein the hydrogel is encapsulated. 
     
     
       9. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the odor releasing additive is encapsulated in a vesicle or liposome comprising a lipid surfactant having a hydrophilic end and a hydrophobic end. 
     
     
       10. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 9  wherein the lipid surfactant is a fatty acid phosphate ester. 
     
     
       11. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the odorant is selected from the group consisting of vanillin, menthol, eugenol, and thymol. 
     
     
       12. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the electro-thermal material is present in the odor-releasing ink at from 5% to 15% by weight. 
     
     
       13. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the electro-thermal material is selected from the group consisting of carbon-conductive materials, metal powders, precious-metal powders, ferro-alloys, semiconductive graphite carbon, organic metals, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       14. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the electro-thermal material is a salt containing ion selected from the group consisting of ammonium, sodium, potassium, nitrate, nitrite, lithium, chloride, acetate, phosphate, sulfonate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the odor-releasing additive is present in the odor-releasing ink from 0.1% to 10% by weight. 
     
     
       16. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the odor-releasing additive is selected from the group consisting of microencapsulated odor-releasing agents; swellable odor-releasing agents; particulate odor-releasing agents; cationic, anionic, or non-ionic resin odor releasing agents; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       17. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink as in  claim 1  wherein the electro-thermal material is physically or chemically bonded to the odor-releasing additive. 
     
     
       18. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material, and wherein the odor-releasing additive is a microparticle containing the odorant.  
     
     
       19. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material, and wherein the odor-releasing additive is an electrochemical hydrogel containing the odorant, said odorant being releasable from the hydrogel upon substantial activation of the electro-thermal material.  
     
     
       20. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material, and wherein the odor releasing additive is encapsulated in a vesicle or liposome comprising a lipid surfactant having a hydrophilic end and a hydrophobic end.  
     
     
       21. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle, wherein the electro-thermal material is a salt containing ion selected from the group consisting of ammonium, sodium, potassium, nitrate, nitrite, lithium, chloride, acetate, phosphate, sulfonate, and combinations thereof; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material.  
     
     
       22. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material, and wherein the odor-releasing additive is selected from the group consisting of microencapsulated odor-releasing agents; swellable odor-releasing agents; particulate odor-releasing agents; cationic, anionic, or non-ionic resin odor releasing agents; and combinations thereof.  
     
     
       23. An odor-releasing ink-jet ink comprising: 
       (a) an ink vehicle;  
       (b) an effective amount of an electro-thermal material dispersed within the ink vehicle; and  
       (c) an effective amount of an odor-releasing additive within the ink vehicle wherein an odorant is releasable from the odor-releasing additive upon activation of the electro-thermal material, and wherein the electro-thermal material is physically or chemically bonded to the odor-releasing additive.